


A Muscular Romance

by qwerty



Category: Merlin (TV) RPF
Genre: Comment Fic, First Time, M/M, Pining, fluff and nonsense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-01
Updated: 2012-08-01
Packaged: 2017-11-11 04:58:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/474771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/qwerty/pseuds/qwerty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the season 4 hiatus, Bradley and Colin meet up again to shoot season 5. Colin admires Tom Hopper's muscles, Bradley admires Colin's new muscles, and then there is an admirably happy ending.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Muscular Romance

Bradley glanced around quickly, and when he had made sure no one was paying attention to them, he followed Colin into the dressing room.

"Sick, really?" he mimicked, taking Colin's upper arm and giving it a good squeeze the way Colin had done with Tom earlier. He paused, surprised. Gave it another squeeze. " _Sick._ What have you been doing, lifting weights?" Bradley wrapped both hands around Colin's arm, ignoring his little squawk, and felt his way down to the elbow, then grabbed Colin's shoulder and squeezed there too. "Wow. I thought you were all about the yoga when we went to watch Hamlet together?"

Colin squirmed and blushed, and tried to shrug him off. "Yes, I did some weights. It's no big deal." He moved to the dressing table and poured himself a glass of water.

"Ha, I thought you looked bigger. Why, do you want to become a knight too?" Bradley said, teasing. He came up behind Colin and patted the firm muscles of his broad shoulders and back, felt Colin shiver under his hands. "Why the sudden interest in bodybuilding tips from Tom? You were never that impressed before."

What he didn't say was that Colin had never been that excited about _his_ muscles before either. Colin frowned over his shoulder at him, oblivious to his inner pout. "I just thought, we, er."

Bradley grinned encouragingly at him with all his new and perfect teeth. "Yes? We what? Should have communal gym sessions? Spot for each other?" _Give each other rubdowns?_ He cleared his throat, dismissing the stray thought. "So, weights?"

The shy duck of Colin's head was something Bradley had grown accustomed to over the years, but the way he looked, the breadth and physicality of him, was strange and subtly disturbing. Distracting. He'd lost track of what he had asked by the time Colin blurted out, "They said, maybe I should have a shirtless scene this season. Everyone else has already had one. Except for Richard."

Colin. Shirtless. The thought stole his breath unexpectedly. "Let me see," he said, pressing forward into Colin's space without thinking.

Colin blinked, taken aback for a moment, then half-scowled, half-giggled, and shoved at his shoulder. "Don't tease, I know it's nothing compared to-"

"I want to see," he repeated, fixated on the idea. He leaned forward again, staring into Colin's darkening eyes, placed his hands on the table to either side of Colin. "Show me."

Colin stared back, seemingly mesmerised. He put aside his glass and reached up, took hold of his battered brown coat. Suddenly impatient, Bradley helped him pull it off and tossed it aside, then took in the unfamiliar way Colin filled the boring, thin blue tunic he'd been wearing as Merlin for years. Colin hesitated; Bradley helped him pull that off too, then just stood there and stared, drinking in the sight of Colin's changed body, the firm lines of muscle under his pale skin and curling chest hair. "Bradley?"

His attraction to Colin had long since been banked down to a slow, comfortable burn that he'd expected they would never do anything about, but this Colin was strange and new and familiar all at the same time, and it confused him. He couldn't find words to answer Colin, just swallowed and stared.

"What do you want?" Colin asked, quiet and serious. Bradley placed a palm over his chest, nearly a caress, and Colin hissed, pushed Bradley back, almost to the wall in the tight confines of the room. "What are you doing?"

Bradley raised his hands, apologetic. "I'm sorry. I thought I had it under control, but," he waved his hands helplessly, "you're still you, but also different, and it's like meeting you for the first time all over again. I thought I got over it." He licked his dry lips, and saw Colin's eyes flick down to follow his tongue.

Colin's eyes narrowed, studying Bradley warily. "Got over it? The first time? Do you mean-"

"Yeah," Bradley cut him off, irritated and embarrassed at his unplanned confession. "Fine, yes, I liked you when you were a skinny bag of bones, and I like you with all your new muscles too. I'm sorry if that bothers you."

"I'm sorry," Colin said carefully, mimicking Bradley's tones, and Bradley flinched in anticipation of a well-deserved rejection, and Colin continued, "sorry you're such an idiot," he finished, surging forward to pin Bradley to the wall with his new, muscly arms, and kissed him. "Sorry I'm an idiot too."

And then they were very sorry together until their break ran out and they had to scramble to re-array themselves to continue shooting.


End file.
